Not Such a Fruitloop After-all
by Kittylass
Summary: The world isn't black and white. There are many shades of gray, and Vlad Masters is the perfect example of that. He has done questionable things in his life, but they weren't without reasons. It takes Clockwork stepping in for to Danny and friends to realize it. Rated T for a brief mention of suicide. Chapter 2 is in the works.


**Feel free to skip the authors note as it's just me ranting about how Vlad is portrayed in most DP fanfics. However, please read the note labeled "IMPORTANT".**

 **You still here? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. Vlad masters is indeed my favorite character in Danny Phantom, but the way people portray him really bothers me. Yes he does do a lot of questionable things in the show, but really? Have him murdering Maddie or innocent bystanders just because you need him to be irredeemably evil? The only one he ever talks about killing is Jack Fenton, and Jack gave him a reason. It was just "Oh some people are minding their own business? Well, hurr dee durp, I'll just kill them to get to Phantom. I mean, I am the bad guy, right?" Okay rant over.**

 **I do not own Danny Phantom.**

 **IMPORTANT: Okay, I have decided to take the plunge and make this a multi-chapter story. So I wanted to address the topic of scheduling before I even begin outlining my ideas for Chapter 2. I am not going to set one, and I refuse to make promises pertaining to when I think the next chapter will be out. I have seen many authors who have set up a schedule, and couldn't keep up with it. And then they stop writing because the story had become a burden on them. They always felt pressured to get the next chapter out ASAP, and it took the fun out of writing. I don't want that to happen to this fic. I will treat it like any of my oneshots, and write when inspiration hits me during my spare time. Hopefully this way I wont grow to dread writing like I have seen happen so many times before. That being said, I hope that the wait for each chapter will be worth it, and I look forward to going on this journey with you guys.**

" _Mom, Dad… we have something we need to tell you…"_

" _What is it sweetie?"_

Clockwork watched from one of his time windows as the scene played out. Young Danny along with his friends, his sister, and his "cousin" had gathered the two Fenton parents in their living room to reveal Danny and Dani's secrets. After a lot of convincing on Jazz's part, the two halfas finally conceded to telling Jack and Maddie.

Clockwork shook his head in amusement. Danny was still worried about how his parents were going to react even after the reality gauntlet incident where they told him they loved him no matter what. Of course, Dani picked up on his nervousness and was also worried about what her adoptive parents would say.

The younger halfa had quite abruptly entered into the Fenton's lives when Danny convinced her to live with them when she showed up one day with concerns about where she was going to live. She had previously been traveling the world, and Clockwork took great amusement in her many misadventures. But she was starting to calm down, and longed for a place to belong. Danny had offered it to her, and with Jazz's help, had convinced the Fentons to take in his cousin. They had been wary of the young girl at first, after all, how else was anyone to react to a niece they had no idea existed, but somehow looked like their son's twin sister. They quickly warmed up to her, though, and loved her just as much as they did their birth children.

Clockwork patiently watched as the children talked a bit before showing the elder Fentons what they had been hiding from them. It wouldn't be too much longer before he would step in. He wasn't afraid for the children at all. The Fentons were going to accept them regardless of any secret they were going to reveal. No, he was going to step in on the behalf of the only other existing halfa. The children, after all, viewed Vlad as nothing short of pure evil, and he couldn't let their view of him continue down this path. It would only lead to great heartache and misery in the future. No, if there was any hope for a happy future for all of them, he had to step in.

The world wasn't as black and white as Danny and his friends thought it was, and Vlad was a perfect example of that. Sure he did some things that would most definitely be viewed as evil, but he had his reasons for acting in such ways. He was not going to let the misunderstanding Vlad was ruining his life over continue onward. Their view of Vlad was going to be much different by the end of the day.

Clockwork shifted the box he had retrieved from one Dr. Whittaker's attic a bit higher on his hip, and waited for the perfect second to step in.

-line break-

"-so of course we don't blame you kids for hiding this from us." Maddie finished up and released the two children from her hug.

"That's such a relief to hear. I mean, I knew you would accept us anyway, but it's reassuring to hear." Danny said with a warm smile.

Everything was going smoothly, and Danny was glad that his worries had been for naught. Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and Valerie all relaxed immensely after the elder Fentons accepted the two halfas. In a way, it was almost like when they revealed it to Valerie. She already knew Dani was half ghost, but was in complete shock that Danny was one too. She then felt remorse when she realized that she had been so adamant about being his enemy, when he really just wanted be friends. She was more than willing to be friends after that, much to Danny's relief.

The Fentons also felt just terrible for the way they had treated Danny's ghost half, and then Dani's ghost half later on. They even talked about dissecting the two Phantoms right in from of them. Of course, they were forgiving people, and had instantly forgiven the two ghost hunters for their transgressions.

"I'm glad we're included in the loop now, but there's one thing I still don't understand," Jack said breaking the silence.

"What is it, Dad?" Danny asked.

"Well, you became half ghost by activating the portal downstairs on the inside, right? Did Dani also get shocked by a portal to get her ghost powers?" he asked in genuine confusion. He also wanted to know who else had a portal if that was really how Dani got her powers.

At his question, all the children's expressions went from happy to glaring. Danny and Dani had their ill-feelings toward Vlad for obvious reasons. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz hated Vlad for those same reasons, and Valerie hated him for using her and Dani for his own sick, twisted game. Their sudden mood shift caused the two adults in the room to frown in confusion.

"Yeah, about that, there is one more half ghost you should know about." Danny said immediately causing Jack and Maddie to worry.

"Indeed they should, Danny. But I believe some things need to be brought to light for yourself and your friends as well." Came a voice from the corner of the room. Everyone turned to see Clockwork, in his young adult form, floating in the corner holding a box.

"Ghost!" Jack and Maddie both yelled, and they and Valerie got into battle positions.

"Wait, he's a good guy!" Danny shouted, getting in between Clockwork and the weapons pointed at him. The ghost hunters lowered their weapons at Danny's interference, and gave Clockwork sheepish looks.

"Sorry about that. We're, uh… getting used to the idea that there are apparently some good ghosts out there." Jack cleared his throat in embarrassment, and Clockwork gave him an amused smile.

"That's quite alright, Mr. Fenton. I knew you would react this way, so you didn't shock me in the slightest." He said putting the elder Fenton at ease.

"Everyone, this is Clockwork, Master of Time. He is the Ghost Zone's most powerful ghost, and he knows _everything_." Danny introduced.

"Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Clockwork smiled, and the ghost hunters twitched slightly. They were willing to accept the fact that some ghosts were good, but that didn't mean their hunters instincts were going to be fully suppressed. Well, for a while at least.

"What are you doing here, Clockwork? You don't usually interfere unless something majorly bad was going to happen… Wait. Something bad _is_ going to happen, isn't it?" Sam piped up causing Clockwork to smile mysteriously at her.

"Wait. Danny said something about another half ghost. Who is it?" Maddie asked causing the teens to regain their scowls. Clockwork refrained from frowning at their reactions. The Butterfly Effect was truly amazing in how one misunderstanding led them all here to this very situation.

"Yes, but it would be best if I did the explaining." Clockwork said causing Danny to raise an eyebrow at him. Clockwork's appearance, as well as him wanting to actually explain things for once, made Danny more on edge. Clockwork liked to speak in riddles and let you figure things out on your own, the fact that he was doing this cause all sorts of alarms to go off in his head. The fact that he showed up just as they were about to talk about Vlad only made him suspicious of his arch nemesis. If Clockwork was here, he must be scheming something majorly evil. The other teens were thinking along the same lines, and the two Fentons were completely baffled about what was happening around them.

"Alright, Clockwork. I trust you know the best outcome so… go ahead." Danny conceded. He wouldn't stop what Clockwork had planned, especially if it would lead to a desired future.

Clockwork nodded, and gestured for everyone to take a seat, which they did. The Fenton's couch was more than big enough to fit all of them. When Clockwork saw they were sitting, and giving him their full attention, he nodded to himself and started talking.

"Before I begin, I want everyone's agreement to let me talk without interruptions. I will allow you to ask questions, but I will not tolerate being talked over. Not today." Clockwork gave a pointed look to all the teens.

Danny felt his suspicion grow, but nodded in agreement. Dani frowned, and wondered what her so called "Dad" had planned for Clockwork to be so serious. From what Danny told her, Clockwork was usually patient with a hint of playfulness. He had no traces of that playfulness here, however. She nodded, her curiosity growing. Sam glared holes in the wall opposite of her. Leave it to Vlad to cause something serious enough to bring Clockwork into the mix. She nodded in agreement, though, despite her hatred for the elder halfa. She could hold her tongue to the very end. Tucker and Valerie were in the same boat as Sam, and nodded too. They needed to hear everything if they were going to counter whatever evil plan Vlad had concocted this time. Jack and Maddie, surprised at the children's sudden hostility, also nodded. Whoever this other halfa was, was obviously not an ally in any way. Clockwork mentally sighed at their reactions and thought processes, but nodded back anyway to show he got their silent agreements.

"Danny is right. There is, indeed, one more half ghost, and it's someone you know very well." He paused and let that little bit of information to sink into the adult's heads.

They scanned their minds for anyone they knew it could be. Then it dawned on Maddie. Danny got his powers from the portal accident… wait! Portal accident! Vlad was in one too! Did that mean… Maddie felt her rage flare up at the billionaire. Not only was he a creep, but he appeared to be Danny's enemy. If there was ever a chance she would forgive the man, it flew out the window in the very moment she put the pieces together.

"Your thought process is correct, Maddie. Vlad is, indeed, the other half ghost." Clockwork confirmed her suspicion, and she growled in the back of her throat.

Jack on the other hand looked like he was slapped across the face with a fish. Vladdie? He was a half ghost too? Why didn't he tell them? They could've help him if he just went to them and asked. They had sent him so many letters and notes while he was in the hospital. The least he could've done was write back. Jack held on to the faint hope that Vlad was a good ghost like Danny.

"His ghost half is called Vlad Plasmius, but you know him as the Wisconsin Ghost." Clockwork said.

Jacks hope faded as fast as they appeared. He felt like someone punched him in the gut. His best friend was the ghost that possessed him, and tried to take Maddie at their reunion. His best, no… ex-best friend had tried to do harm to them over and over again. Not only that, but he saw Phantom and the Wisconsin ghost fighting a lot. He had loved Vlad like a brother, but he absolutely was not going to remain friends with someone who hated his son. The sting of betrayal cut deep into Jack's heart. Maddie only continued to see red as she absorbed the information, and realized Vlad's ghost half did all sorts of evil from what she could tell. The teens, already knowing this, just waited for Clockwork to continue. They were already labeling Vlad as a bad guy. Of course, they had no idea his thought process behind the things he did, so they would think that, but that was going to change. Before he explained Vlad to them, however, he needed to get the two Fentons up to speed with the rest of them.

"Yes, he has done many bad things in the past. He has schemed and manipulated people to get what he wants. He has tried many times in the past to kill Jack and take Maddie for himself. He has tried over and over again to get Danny to become his son, and has even created Dani in one of his schemes to do so by cloning him. Dani is Danny's clone, and Vlad wasn't exactly the nicest person to her." Clockwork said, and could practically feel the hatred and anger radiating off the people he floated in front of. The thoughts going through all of their minds were either about how they were going to maim Vlad the next time they saw him, or just trying to wrap their head around the betrayal they felt. Clockwork waited for the information to sink in a bit more.

"Why?" Jack asked in a hurt tone. He wanted to know more than anything why his ex-best friend had done such things to all of them.

"That will be explained in a bit, but for now please ask questions that have nothing to do with motivation." Clockwork said and waited.

"I have one." Maddie said, with a slight growl in her voice. Clockwork nodded to let her know she could ask away.

"Did Vlad get his fortune by using his ghost powers?" she asked harshly.

"Vlad is an opportunistic man. He figures that if he has the resources, then it would be foolish not to use them. So, yes. He did, in fact, use his ghost powers to become wealthy." Clockwork answered and everyone got angrier by that small tidbit. No one else was going to ask another question, so Clockwork continued onward.

"Now that you _all_ know who Vlad is, and what he's done, I want to ask you a question. Specifically to Danny." Clockwork turned his gaze to the young halfa. Danny raised his eyebrow, and nodded for him to ask away. Anytime Clockwork asked him a question, it was always to get him to realize something he hadn't thought of before.

"Have you ever asked yourself why he does the things he does?" Clockwork inquired.

"Isn't it obvious? He's an evil crazed up fruitloop. That's why he does what he does." Danny answered, and Clockwork hummed a bit in response.

"And do the rest of you agree with that notion?" he asked, and got vigorous nods from all the teens. Maddie hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding herself. The only one who didn't nod was Jack. Clockwork turned to him.

"You aren't nodding, Jack. Do you not agree with Danny's statement?" he asked, and Jack looked thoughtfully sad before answering.

Jack sighed deeply and answered, "It's just that Vlad wasn't always like that. Really, the way he acted back in college reminds me a lot of Danny, but… I don't know."

Clockwork let the man try to sort some things out in his mind. He looked very tired which was unlike him in so many ways, but a subject like this was bound to do that to anyone.

"Well, I'm here to tell you that that is not the case." Clockwork paused again to let that bit of information sink in. He was met with many disbelieving eyes. The only thing keeping them from shouting their denial at him was the promise from earlier to let Clockwork speak.

"I have told you many times, Danny, that things aren't always as they seem at first glance. The world isn't a place of black and white. There are many shades of gray, and Vlad is the perfect example of that." He paused again. This was going to be a subject that was hard for all of them to swallow, and he needed to give them small bits of information with pauses in between to let them process things thoroughly. He could see unasked questions swimming in the teen's minds.

"Am I correct in saying that all of you now see Vlad as an evil supervillain who is meant to be beaten down because of how evil he is?" He got several nods from them, even if Jack's was reluctant.

"You all assumed that the reason I was here was because Vlad had some sort of scheme he was brewing, and we had to go stop him, am I correct again?" He got several more nods. Valerie looked surprised at his correct assumption. Little did she know that he never assumed anything. He knew everything.

"I'll let you know right now that he has nothing planned. In fact, he's currently in his office doing his job as mayor of this city. You all are far from his mind at the moment." He hid his amusement when he saw the teen's eyes widen.

Danny didn't know what to think at the moment. Clockwork had come here to talk about Vlad, and he wasn't even doing anything evil at the moment? What was going on? If Vlad wasn't scheming something big enough to threaten the world, then why was Clockwork even here to talk about him? Clockwork, for as patient as he was, was never one to waste time on anything. Maybe Vlad was going to unknowingly do something, and they had to stop him before it was too late. That had to be it.

"Do you know why he wants Danny as his son? And saying that because he is a fruitloop isn't the answer." Clockwork asked, and everyone went into deep thought at that.

"It's because Danny is half ghost like him, isn't it?" Jazz asked, and Clockwork nodded.

"That is part of the reason, but not the full thing. He wants Danny as a son because he wants to protect him." Clockwork stopped again and saw a variety of emotions play across all of their faces.

"Protect him?! From what might I ask?!" Maddie growled while giving Clockwork the world's strongest disbelieving glare.

"He doesn't want Danny to feel the pain he had to go through." He answered, and waited for them to wrap their heads around what he just said.

"What pain?" Valerie asked after a few seconds.

"Well, Danny had his friends with him when he gained his ghost powers, and you all have stuck by him. You gave him encouragement, and helped him in any way possible, and you two accepted him without question when he finally revealed himself to you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. Vlad didn't have that. He was sent to the hospital where he fought for both his life and his sanity for five long years. Then when he told his parents what happened to him, they disowned him. They told him that they no longer had a son, and that he was a monster who should have never existed. He sees the support you're getting from everyone, and is afraid that you all will turn on him. He also knows that Jack and Maddie are ghost hunters who would stop at nothing to capture and torture ghosts if given the opportunity, and wanted to spare you of the possible fate of being captured and by them. He knows the pain of betrayal all too well, as well as the pain of being the guinea pig of curious scientists, and was adamant about you coming to him first before you got a chance to feel those pains too. Despite what you may think, he does care very deeply for you Danny. You as well Dani." Clockwork stopped his speech and watched as some of the hated for the man left their faces.

Danny didn't know what to think. Vlad tried to get him over to his side because he cared? It really wasn't some creepy reason of just wanting a half ghost son for the sake of having a half ghost son? He was feeling so many emotions at the moment. He was skeptical of what Clockwork said was true or not. He was surprised that that was the reason why he tried so hard to get Danny to join him. He was angry that he went about it in the most stupid way possible. But most of all, he felt touched that someone who he thought hated him, actually cared for him. A small part of him even felt guilty for assuming that he was doing all of his scheming for his own goals. He was even wanting to protect him from his own parents if the time ever came. Which it didn't, and never will, but it was nice to know that someone was going to help him if it did happen. He was suddenly glad about Vlad's hidden cameras after knowing that Vlad would be aware if he ever did get captured by them.

Maddie felt her anger and hatred recede a few levels after hearing what Clockwork said. He went about it in harsh ways, but he was trying to help Danny in the way he thought best. Maybe Vlad wasn't quite the enemy they thought he was. It didn't excuse any of the bad things he did to try to get Danny over to his side, but his intentions were noble at least. He was even going to protect Danny from them if it ever happened. Maddie got angrier at the thought of her son needed protection from her, but she was glad there would be someone there to stop them if the opportunity presented itself.

Jack felt a bit of relief at hearing that Vlad really didn't hate Danny. It still hurt a lot to know that Vlad had done so many bad things, but at least hating his son was no longer one of them. He still had several questions about why Vlad did certain things, but he had hope that this Clockwork guy would tell him more helpful news like that. He had a long history with Vlad, and it hurt beyond words to think of him as an ex-best friend.

Jazz immediately went into analytical mode. She started to build of more reliable profile of Vlad just from what Clockwork had said, and she felt like he was far from done explaining things. She was happy about that. Vlad, for as much as she tried to pinpoint what exactly was going on in his psyche, was an anomaly. With the way he behaved, it was almost like he had no idea what he wanted, and merely acted on what he thought he wanted at the time. Today was going to be very enlightening.

Valerie felt herself simmer down slightly, but she didn't dare let her anger go just yet. Vlad still had a lot of bad deeds to account for, and she was not going to allow herself to come close to forgiving him until it was explained why he treated herself and Dani the way he did.

Tucker and Sam were in the same boat. They were shocked to hear that Vlad actually did care about Danny. Everything he did pointed toward him wanting Danny for his own gains, but after hearing what Clockwork had said, it made them reevaluate what Vlad was really like. Vlad was nowhere near off the hook as far as they were concerned, but at least they knew that Vlad came from a place of caring. Even if it was a bit skewed. Sam, unlike Tucker however, didn't appreciate the fact that Vlad thought they were going to abandon Danny. The next time she saw him, she was going to tell him exactly what she thought of that ridiculous idea.

Dani was more confused than anything. She trusted Clockwork's judgement, if what Danny said about him was true, but the things he did just didn't match up with the word "caring". Vlad was far from acting like a caring father, but he supposedly cared about her deeply? And the was almost always fighting Danny, that didn't sound like a caring person to her.

"But if he cared about me, then why did he treat me the way he did? And why is he always fighting Danny?" Dani asked after a few seconds. Clockwork gave a gentle smile before responding.

"At first it was because he didn't want to get too attached. He made the mistake of getting attached to earlier clones, only to watch them fade away. Once he realized you were more stable, he decided to keep it up to prepare you for the real world. He didn't want you to easily trust someone, only for you to be completely destroyed because of someone who wouldn't think twice about harming a little girl. And fighting Danny was his roundabout way of training him without actually training him. When Danny refused to come to him, he decided that Danny needed as many fights as possible. He never used his full strength when fighting him, and tried to help Danny build up certain skills without him realizing it." Clockwork answered easily.

"He was training me?" Danny asked in a surprised tone.

"He wanted you to be ready for any possible enemy you came across, and he even told the ghosts under his employment that they had better not hurt you too badly if they knew what was good for them." Clockwork explained, and he could see their opinions of Vlad really start to shift. The only ones that held strong were Valerie, and Dani herself.

"Okay, but what about when he tried to kill me when I was staring to melt?" Dani asked, and felt her anger flare up again. What in Vlad's mind could have possibly justified killing her if he really did care about her. Valerie leaned closer, also wanting to know the answer.

"Believe it or not, he really thought he was performing an act of mercy." Clockwork said, and everyone gave him baffled looks.

"You were in a lot of pain when you were melting, right?" Clockwork asked and continued at Dani's nod.

"He didn't want you to suffer through that, and tried to end it as quickly as possible. He had no idea about the ecto-dejecto actually helping ghosts with their stability, and thought it was the only way. It was the same as pulling the plug on a terminal patient who was in a lot of pain, at least in his mind." Clockwork said, and he saw even Valerie's eyes soften at the explanation. He could see their opinions about the older halfa beginning to change.

"You said something earlier… that he knew what it felt like to be a guinea pig… w-what exactly did you mean by that?" Jack asked. With each new thing he learned about Vlad, he became more and more relieved. Vlad did have a heart, and was trying to do right in his own way. But that didn't mean that he wasn't worried about what the time ghost had said earlier. Clockwork looked at him for a second before setting the box he was holding onto the coffee table in front of them.

"His stay at the hospital was absolutely nightmarish. Even though you tried to visit him several times, but was never allowed in, and the fact that you sent him letter after letter, it doesn't mean he knew you were there. The letter never got to him, and nobody on the staff told him you tried to visit, even when he asked about it. At first, it was out of trying to keep his mind focused on healing. He nearly died so many times at first, that the doctors really didn't think he was going to make it. Then he became more stable, and his ghost powers slowly started to appear. He didn't get the basic ones all at once like Danny, but they slowly made their way to the surface, and it made the doctors curious. It started with simple tests, body temperature, which was higher due to his fire core, heart rate, which was slower due to being half ghost, and urine and stool samples. Then they started doing blood tests, and were fascinated by how quickly the puncture wounds healed. Then they started hurting him on purpose to test every healing rate imaginable. Then it went to full on dissections. Nothing that would kill him, but they were constantly cutting him open, and prodding him, and testing his endurance. His ecto-acne was cured after seven months. The rest of the time was spent as a lab rat to the sadistic doctors looking to satiate their own curiosity. In fact, he'd still be there if he didn't stumble upon intangibility, and made a break for it. He still has scars from where he was being cut open almost constantly, and the whole fiasco did a number on his psyche. That whole time, he was never once told about your attempted visits nor was he informed about the letters you were constantly sending him. In his mind, you caused the accident then left him there to suffer at the mercy of the doctors. You abandoned him without so much as a note, and went on with your lives. Then he found out you two got married even though he knew you knew he had a crush on Maddie. That's why he wants to kill you, Jack, since I knew that was going to be your next question. This box on the table was in the attic of Dr. Whittaker, one of the doctors working on Vlad's case, and it has all of the letters you've written Vlad. All of them, unopened and unread." Clockwork finished his speech, and everyone sat there with horrified looks on their faces as they let the terrifying tale sink in.

Jack felt like the lowest scum on the planet. He was the one that caused Vladdie to get ecto-acne in the first place, and even though he tried so hard to see his best friend, he knew right then and there that he should have tried harder. He should have known that Vlad's lack of response was something more than him just being angry about the ecto-acne. Then hearing about all the things he's been through, it was no wonder he wanted him dead. Jack didn't blame him for feeling that way one bit.

Maddie was feeling almost the same way. Despite how Vlad had been acting recently, they _were_ close friends back in college. And besides, it was horrifying to hear what he'd really been through, and… it made sense. If she had been through the same thing, she was sure she'd act the same way. She then longed to hug her old friend, and to let him know how sorry she was that he had to go through all of that. She wasn't going to drop Jack and marry him, by any means, but she did hate that anyone she knew had to go through that.

Danny never thought he'd feel so bad for Vlad in his life. And it only made it worse when he remembered that Vlad was trying to prevent the same thing from happening to him. This whole time he had seen Vlad as the undeniable evil villain, and himself as the virtuous hero, but this whole thing had turned all he knew about the world on its head. Once again, Clockwork was right. The world really wasn't as black and white as he thought it was.

Dani could only stare blankly at the wall across from her. She had shared Danny's view of the world being black and white, and hearing all that her creator went through made her almost cry. He really wasn't a bad guy. He was just… a guy. He was a guy who made bad decisions and had bad things happen to him because of it. She wanted nothing more than to give him a hug. A small part of her wanted to not go through with it due to all he's done in the past, but she shrugged it off. It would be a while for it to fully sink in that Vlad had her best intentions at heart, but did them in the wrong way.

Valerie sat in horrified shock and amazed wonder. She was shocked that Vlad had been through so much, and really never had the intentions of a bad guy. She was in wonder because of how quickly her opinion changed based on a few explanations about why Vlad is the way he is. She still had some reservations about how he used her for one of his plans, but the way the afternoon had gone, it would most likely be explained away like the rest of his behaviors. She really didn't know what to think of him anymore. She didn't see him as the evil mastermind like before, or really as evil at all. She just didn't know.

Sam and Tucker were horrified, of course, but they couldn't stop themselves from imagining Danny in that same situation. How if they weren't there to stop the Fentons from taking him to the hospital then he would probably end up just like Vlad. It scared them to their core, and suddenly they realized that Vlad may not have been so bad after all.

Jazz was quickly putting pieces together. It all made sense now. Had he not suffered trauma at the hands of those doctors, they would probably have a completely different Vlad on their hands. She had no idea that he went through so much, and was now very grateful for Vlad's weird form of protection. She did not ever want Danny to go through that.

Clockwork saw how each of them took the news, and waited a few seconds more before dropping one more bomb on them.

"He acts the way he acts because he partly blinded by his rage. He is both angry and hurt at the thought of Jack and Maddie abandoning him. He could have easily gotten over the ecto-acne thing if he just had reassurance that he wasn't thrown away like some piece of garbage. Naturally, he placed all the blame on Jack since he had a strong crush on Maddie, and had convinced himself that Jack stole her from him. It is this anger that fuels him. All you need to do is show Vlad the letters in that box, and you will see him change in an instant." Clockwork paused and saw all of them take it in before he looked Danny straight in the eyes.

"And I want you to remember something, Danny. You were given a second chance. Why not give one to Vlad as well?" With those parting words Clockwork returned to his tower and left them to their thoughts.

-line break-

Vlad gave a tired sigh as he finished the stack of paperwork that he had been working on ever since he got back from lunch. Being mayor wasn't any different than running his companies since he still had to deal with seemingly endless amounts of paperwork, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He stretched his arms and looked at the time on his open laptop: 5:32 P.M. He had been writing nonstop for four and a half hours. It seemed like as good a time as any to call it a day. He was about to gather his things to leave when his phone rang.

"Tea cakes." He grumbled to himself and answered the phone.

"Mayor Masters speaking." Vlad said wanting to get the conversation over with so he could go home.

"Hey, Vladdie." Came Jack's uncharacteristically timid voice. Vlad raise an eyebrow at his unusual behavior, but couldn't find it in himself to care.

"What do you want Jack?" he asked tiredly, not bothering to hide the contempt in his voice.

"Um, well… you see…" Vlad groaned out loud, not really in the mood to put up with Jack's idiocy.

"Would you just get to the point?! I've had a long day, and would like to head home in a timely manner if you don't mind!" Vlad snapped at the phone.

"We have some of your mail." Jack said in a rush, and it took Vlad a moment to process what it was that Jack had said exactly.

"Beg your pardon?" Vlad wanted to make sure he heard right. If the mailman really did mess up his mail with that buffoon then he would personally see to it that they suffer the consequences.

"We… uh… have some of your mail…" Jack repeated, slower this time and Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. First his secretary had gotten the meeting schedules mixed, then the intern had messed up his coffee order five times in a row, and now this. He would have to go there himself to get it. With the way his day had been, he didn't dare trust someone else to handle his mail.

"Fine, I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Vlad said before hanging up without so much as a goodbye. He quickly gathered his things to make the unwanted trip to Fentonworks.

-line break-

Vlad was standing at the Fenton's doorway exactly fifteen minutes later. He kept grumbling to himself about not wanting to put up with Jack's boisterous personality, already having forgotten about his unusually subdued voice over the phone. He rang the doorbell and waited for the inevitable sound of Jack running toward the door followed by a spine snapping hug. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when Jack calmly opened the door, and didn't bother to hug him.

"Hey, Vladdie." Jack said with sadness hanging heavily on his voice, and Vlad knew something was wrong. He felt panic begin to seize him when the thought occurred to him that something might have happened to Maddie or the two other halfas. He pushed the feeling down to compose himself.

"Jack, I assume all is well." He said in a clipped tone. Not wanting to give the buffoon any hint that he cared about Jack personally.

"Uh, yeah… yeah…" Jack trailed off as he really took in his friend's appearance for the first time. He looked well poised, and composed which made Jack relax just a ted bit. He tensed up again, however, when he saw the dark circles surrounding his eyes, giving him a haunting look. Have those always been there? Where did they come from? Was Vlad really doing okay?

"Jack?" Vlad's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he saw the hidden glare in his eyes. He tried not to flinch.

"My mail?" Vlad reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! Come on it. It's on the coffee table." Jack moved out of the way, and Vlad raised an eyebrow of confusion.

"Look, Jack, I'm in no mood for a visit so if you could just please hand it to me so I can be on my-"

"Vlad?" Maddie's voice interrupted Vlad, and he looked at her. She too had eyes heavy with sadness, and Vlad paused. He could deal with Jack being sad. In fact he celebrated a little bit on the inside when he learned that Maddie, Daniel, and Danielle were just fine. But he couldn't stand to see Maddie so upset.

"What's wrong Maddie?" he asked showing more concern than he had when addressing Jack. Maddie looked at him for a second before looking away, and clearing her throat. Vlad frowned. Something was definitely not right.

"Vlad, please just… just come in. Your mail is on the coffee table." She said in a subdued voice, and Vlad couldn't find it in himself to refuse Maddie. Even if he didn't want to be around Jack, but then again, he never wanted to be around the oaf anyway.

"Sure, Maddie." Vlad said and walked in. He stopped when he saw how full the living room was. Danny's three friends, Jazz, Danny, and Dani were all in the living room looking at him with the same sad eyes Jack and Maddie were giving him. Well, Valerie gave him a blank look, but everyone else seemed to be looking at him with… concern? Pity? Melancholy? He couldn't quite place what it was exactly. He gave Danny a raised eyebrow. Even the Little Badger, who would be full on glaring at him by now, was giving him that same look. Vlad didn't like it one bit. Something had happened and he had no idea what it was.

Before he could voice his thoughts, Maddie and Jack had moved him over to the couch, and sat him down right in front of a good sized box that was just sitting on the coffee table. That couldn't have been his mail. He didn't remember ordering anything that big.

"Is this supposed to be my mail?" he asked incredulously. He looked around and saw all of them staring at him with that exact same look. It was starting to grate on his nerves.

"Okay, I've had enough. What is going on here? Why is there a box sitting in front of me. And why in the name butterscotch pudding are all of you looking at me like that?!" Vlad's patience was reaching its end.

"Just open the box, and start reading the letters inside. You will know afterwards." Maddie said, and he almost didn't do it out of spite. But because it was Maddie that had asked, and his curiosity was getting the better of him he obliged.

He opened it up to see hundreds and hundreds of envelopes stuffed inside. All of them were addressed to him, and they were signed by either Jack or Maddie. None of them looked recent. In fact, some of the words looked a bit faded with age. He stared at them in confusion. Where did all of these old letters come from, and why didn't he get them sooner? Hesitantly, he grabbed one signed by Maddie, and pulled it out of the box. He tore it open carefully and unfolded the paper inside. He nearly dropped it when he read the date at the top: 6 – 10 – 86. He was well into his hospital years at the time. He quickly got to reading the letter before he lost the nerve to read it.

 _Dear Vlad,_

 _We weren't allowed to see you again this week. The doctors keep saying that it isn't safe to see you, and that they would tell us when it would be okay. That won't stop Jack and me from fighting to see you, though. You should've seen how angry Jack was. He looked like he was about ready to punch the doctor in his face before running off to go see you with or without permission. Honestly, I wouldn't stop him if he tried._

 _We really miss seeing you Vlad. I hope you will have the strength to write back soon. The doctors still say you're too busy fighting for your life to do so, and that scares both of us. The accident happened almost two years ago now. We really thought you'd be out of there by now._

 _Things just aren't the same, you know? Jack refuses to get another roommate, because he's certain that you'll be out of here any day now. I wish I shared his enthusiasm._

 _Vlad, please, even if you can't hold a pencil, can you at least have a nurse write it down for you? We really want to know how you're doing. I mean other than what the doctors keep telling us every week we come by. Isolation is bad for anyone. If anything, I hope these letters we keep sending you give you a small amount of hope. Even if we run out of paper we will find a way to keep sending you letters._

 _We hope you get better soon!_

 _Your best friend,_

 _Maddie_

Vlad's whole world, everything he knew, everything he believed in, suddenly came crashing around him. He had thought they abandoned him after the accident. He was certain. The doctors had even said… his blood ran cold and he actually did drop the letter this time. He should have known better. Those damned doctors cut him open over and over again without remorse. Of course they'd lied about his friends trying to visit him, and keep these letters from him. With shaking hands, he picked the letter up off the ground and red it over and over again, trying to memorize every word. That fire of hatred that had burned inside him for twenty years was suddenly doused.

He felt tears sliding down on his face. He had been such a fool. His friends, and they really were friends, they had stuck by him and he didn't even realize it. He was such a fool. No worse than a fool! He was absolute scum. Jack was almost constantly giving him his friendship, and for the better part of twenty years, he had been spitting it back at his face. With the blindfold of fury gone, he could now see how he had really been these past several years. He was awful, downright awful. He didn't deserve friends like this. He never did. He didn't bother to hold back the heart-wrenching sobs that wracked his body.

Everyone watched as Vlad slowly opened the letter, and a look of absolute shock fell over his face. Jack watched as his friend read the letter that was long overdue. Vlad's eyes became glassy as he read. Maddie felt her heart tear in two at the look on Vlad's face as he finished the letter, and had dropped it out of shock. Valerie felt her resolve to remain neutral begin to crumble when tears began to pour out of his eyes. Sam, Tucker, Dani, and Jazz felt deep sympathy for the poor man who they had only just this morning thought of as the world's most evil villain. Danny felt his resentment fade to its lowest levels without disappearing when the sobs came.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am." Vlad managed to get out before he started to bitterly weep. The past twenty years of his life were based on an undeserved hatred for Jack, who had proved with the sheer volume of all these letters that was stuffed into the box.

Jack couldn't take it anymore. He watched as all the hatred left Vlad's body only to leave behind a broken man. He strode forward and wrapped his poor friend in a tight hug. Vlad hesitated for a second before he returned the hug, desperately seeking the comfort he had been oh so longing for the past two decades.

"We know, V-man. We're sorry too. If we had known what they were doing to you in there, we would have tried harder to get you out." Jack said sadly rubbing his hand comfortingly on his back. Vlad screamed loudly into his large friend's chest at his kind words and gestures. Maddie joined the hug seconds later, ready to forgive Vlad after seeing how sorry he truly was. The teens awkwardly hung back, not really knowing what to do outside of letting the three adults hug things out.

After a good ten minutes of this, Vlad finally started to calm down. Jack and Maddie released him from their hug and sat him back down on the couch where he tried to recompose himself.

"I've never deserved friends like you. You've been nothing but good to me, and I've tried my hardest to throwing it right back into your face." Vlad said hoarsely, instantly causing Jack to pull him into another hug.

"Don't say things like that, Vladdie. You didn't know. They kept it from you. Of course you would be angry and hurt, especially after what they put you through." Jack reassured, causing a few more tears to fall down Vlad's face.

"But it is true! I've done some horrible things to you, and you don't even know it. I don't deserve your forgiveness or friendship. I deserved all of those lonely years in an empty castle, and I deserve many more." Vlad said in a broken voice.

Danny looked at the man in front of him. This was no longer the Vlad he knew. He wasn't the arrogant know it all he had come to hate nor the evil villain he had built him up to be. No, this was a broken man, who had made many mistakes based on one lie that had ruined his life, and was now hating himself for it. What Clockwork said about second chances rang in his head, and he found he could no longer hate Vlad. He had obviously thought he was doing Danny a favor, and even did try to get him to advance in his powers during fights with him. And now here he was pouring his heart into these apologies, all the while showing everyone all the hurt he had been carrying by himself for years. Danny looked to his friends, sister, and cousin and could see the same ideas shining in their eyes. Even Valerie was willing to forgive him. They all nodded at once, and Danny walked forward. He placed a hand on Vlad's shoulder, and he jumped slightly. He had forgotten the kids were there.

He saw the tender smile on Danny's face, and felt a punch of guilt in his stomach. It was true he was doing the best he could to help Danny under the circumstances, but with the anger gone he could now see all the damage he was doing to the poor boy.

"Daniel-"

"I forgive you." Danny interrupted the older halfa, and watched as he gave him a disbelieving look.

"W-what?" He asked as he slowly pushed himself out of Jack's rather large embrace.

"I forgive you. Yeah, you did some pretty terrible things, but you were doing good things in your own twisted way. You didn't genuinely have any ill-intentions other than trying to kill my Dad, but that was the cause of something you couldn't control. What do you say we start fresh?" Danny offered, and Vlad merely gaped at him with a disbelieving stare.

"I'm willing to forgive and start fresh too." Maddie said from Vlad's right.

"I think we all are." Dani said stepping forward, and all the others in the room nodded in agreement.

Vlad couldn't believe it. They wanted to start fresh? Just like that? Even after all he had don't to them? He shook his head and moved his gaze to the ground.

"I can't. Not after all I've done to you. I'm a monster and you would all be better off if-"

"No! You are not going to have a say in this, Vlad!" Maddie said in a stern tone causing all heads to turn toward her.

"B-but-"

"No 'buts'! We aren't going to let you go back to your lonely lifestyle. We'll even move into to your mansion if we have to. After all you've been through, you deserve to be happy." Jack said patting Vlad's back nearly sending the poor man into the floor.

Vlad wanted to accept the offer so badly, but the two Fentons didn't know about his ghost half. He couldn't in good conscious let them let them think he was innocent, and let them be his friends.

Danny saw the gleam in his eye, and squeezed his shoulder to get his attention.

"They know, Vlad. It's okay." He said before letting go of his shoulder.

They knew? And they really wanted to restart their friendship after that? Vlad fell back and let the couch catch him in a weird slump. It was uncomfortable, but he didn't move. The really were the best friends anyone could ask for. He allowed himself to be dragged away by said friends, as they threw around suggestion for places to celebrate their clean slate at.

-line break-

Clockwork watched with a warm smile as the Fentons, Vlad, and Danny's friends all sat around and laughed in a large circular booth at a semi-posh restaurant. The lot of them had all genuinely forgiven Vlad for his misguided deeds, and Vlad himself was struggling between joining in and falling into a pit of self-loathing. In time, he would come to accept this fresh start with open arms, but for now he had his friends to help him reach that point.

"You had no right to interfere!" shouted an observer as a whole group of them barged into Clockwork's tower.

"Well hello to you too." Clockwork said and waved the time windows away.

"This is no time for pleasantries, Clockwork! You know you aren't allowed to meddle, and yet you singlehandedly altered with the way the timeline was supposed to have gone!" shouted another as a whole group of them ganged up on him.

"We go over this every time I step in to alter something. If I go ahead and do it despite your warnings, then there is a reason for it." Clockwork said tiredly.

"Feeling sorry for a lonely halfa does not count as a good reason!" a third one shouted.

"Need I remind you who can actually see the possible futures? You know as well as I that the butterfly effect is a very real thing. Changing one thing now will save a bunch of heartache later." Clockwork said in a monotone voice. He had explained this to them so many times that he could say it in his sleep. Like always the observants huddled together and mumbled amongst themselves for a few seconds. They then broke apart and turned to face the time ghost.

"You are on thin ice. One more occurrence like this, and you will be put to trial!" The one in front warned before they all left.

Clockwork waved his time windows back into place, and watched as two possible futures disappeared. One where Vlad had snapped after everyone ganged up on him after a hard day and went on a violent rampage destroying the town and everyone in it, and the other where they had just let Vlad go alone after breaking down and he killed himself in a fit of misery. They were then replaced by a future where they all stood together as fully trusting allies against a foe that has yet made itself known.

"All is as it should be."


End file.
